Moose on the Loose: 76ers move on from James Harden headache

NEW YORK (PIX11) — The Philadelphia 76ers finally rid themselves of the headache that is James Harden.

The beard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday morning for a package of players and picks that was not exactly overwhelming. The 34-year-old has been a headache in Houston, Brooklyn and Philly.

There is no doubt he is a Hall of Famer and an all-time great scorer, but he has never won. His only trip to the NBA finals came with the Oklahoma City Thunder when he partnered with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

He has been a great regular season player, whose points per game, shooting percentage and three-point percentage have all dipped in the post-season. The rest of the NBA finally came to that realization. That is why he did not get the contract he was looking for, and that is why he did not have the value the Clippers had hoped for in the trade market.

Quite simply, James Harden is not a winner, and anyone who says otherwise is just an apologist. We all witnessed it here in Brooklyn. We watched Harden be fat and out of shape in his final days with the Rockets.

At times in his career, Harden showed little respect and professionalism for the game he supposedly loves. Harden literally just forced his way away from the reigning MVP in Philly, Joel Embid, because of money and a squabble with GM Daryl Morey. And now he joins a Clippers Big 3 with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who, by the way, are rarely healthy enough to play together.

Good luck with that.

Harden is not a finisher and not a closer in the post-season. The cost for Los Angeles was so cheap in the end, they had no other choice but to make the trade.

Do I think this will lead to the Clippers winning an NBA title? No, I do not. Because in the end, Harden is going to Harden. Tiger does not change his stripes. Enjoy the soap opera, Los Angeles.

Until next time, New York, I’m Marc Malusis.